Improvement in car-replacers



NITED STATES PATENT 'EEICE JESSE E. BRIDGE, or WARWICK, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ARTHUR R.

BLAKESLEE, 0E BIRMINGHAM, CONNECTICUT.

CAR-REPLACERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 171,765, dated January 4, 1876; application led June 26, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat we, JESSE F. BRIDGE, of' Warwick, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, and ARTHUR R. BLAKES- LEE, of Birmingham, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful vImprovement in Portable Switch, of which the following isl a specification:

Figure 1 is a top view of our improved switch, part being broken away to show, the construction. Fig. 2 is an under-side view of the main switch-block. Fig. 3 is a detail cross-section of the same, takenthrough the line c w, Fig. l. Fig. -l is a detail underside view of the bridge. Fig. 5 is a detail crosssection of. the Same, taken through the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a top View of the second switch-block, the top piece being removed. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the top piece of the second switch-block.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. l

The object of this invention is to furnish an improved switch, which shall beso constructed as to enable a train, a part of a train, or a single car to be shunted whenever` desired upon a temporaryr or permanent Section of track, and again replaced upon the main track, and which may be easily and quickly put down and taken up without disturbing the rails or interfering with thetrafc of the road.

The invention consists in the main block, made with grooves upon its lower side, and projections upon its upper side, and yprovided with the detachable bar, the detachable flange, the set-screws, and the lever-cams to adapt it to be applied to either rail of a railroad-track 5 in the complemental block, made with an angular rabbet or Shoulder, and provided with the pivoted bar and the reversible triangular notched block, to adapt it to be applied to either rail of a railroad-track, in combination with the main block and its attachments, and in the bridge made with grooves, recesses, and anges upon its lower side, and provided with set-screws and the lever-cams, in combination with the two blocks and their attachments, as hereinafter fully described.

A are the ties, and B are the rails, of aiseei vtion of railroad-track. C is the main block of lthe switch, which is designed to be placed l upon the rail B, at the Side of the track. to-

ward which the cars are to be shunted. The forward end of the block C is forked, and upon its under side are formed two grooves, running from the center of its rear end to the forward ends of the two branches, to receive the head of the rail, so that, upon whichever rail it be placed, one of the branches may project to the side ofthe track. The block O is secured upon the rail B by set-screws D, which pass in through the anges of the said block, and the forward ends of which rest against the sides of the rail B. The forward end of the outer branch is secured to the end of a rail, P, of the Side track. The block C is further secured to the rail B by the two camlevers E, which pass in through Slots in the rear parts of the lia-n ges of the said block C, and are pivoted to said block so that their inner ends may rest against the sides of the rail B. The cams E are made of diiferent lengths, and are exchanged as the block C is placed upon one or the other rail of the track. By this construction, should there be any tendency of the block U to move forward when the wheels strike it, such tendency will be resisted by the cams E, and will only cause the said cams to take a firmer hold upon the sides of the rail B. The cams E may be locked against the sides of the rail B by pins e', passed through their handles and through the body of the block C. In the upper side ofthe block C is formed a V-groove to receive the ange of the car-wheels, leaving an inclined projection, c1, in the center of its rear end, and inclined projections c2 upon the ends of its branches. Theinclined projections cio2 are designed to receive the tread of the wheels as they pass upon and from said block C. F is a bar the forward end of which is beveled off to ii against the inclined inner. Side of either of the projections c2, and itsrear end is notched to t against either side of the notched forward end of the projection c1. The bar F is secured in place adjustably by bolts, and is designed to form a track for the tread of the wheel and a guide for its flange between the projections c and c2. However, the block C may be adjusted upon the rail B.

Upon the upper sides ot' the outer parts of the widened rear end of the block C are formed seats to receive the guidebar or flange Gr, which is secured in place detachably by bolts.` The bar G is designed for'the flange of the wheels to strike against to prevent the tread of said wheels from passing off the profV jection C and bar F when the car is to b`e shunted. H is the second or complemental block, which is placed upon the inner side of the rail B, opposite the block'G, and is se cured in place by spikes or bolts inserted in the ties A. The block H is made with an angular rabbet `or shoulder upon the outer part of its upper side, in the angle of which is pivoted the end of a bar or short rail, I, so that it may be turned in either direction, according as the bl'ock H is connected with one or the other of the rails of the track. The inner endof the head of the bar I is beveled upon its opposite sides into wedge shape, as shown in Figs. l and 6. J` is a triangular block, which is placed upon the upper side of the block H, with its apex to the rearward and its perpendicular side against the side of the rail B. The base of the block J is notched to form an inclined projection to tit against the beveled inner end of the bar I. The upper side of the block J and bar I form a track for the tread of the wheels when vthey leave the rail B, and the side edges of said block Vand bar serve as a guide to the flange of said wheels. The block J is secured in place detachably, so that it may be detached and reversed when the block H is to be connected with the other rail of the track. With the outer end of the bar I is connected, by a iishplate or other convenient means, the end of a short section of rail, K, the outer end of which s inserted in a recess in the under side of the inner end of the bridge L. rlhe bridge L crosses the rail B diagonally, and has two diagonal grooves formed in the middle part of its lower side, crossing each other at the center of said bridge to receive the said rail B, and adapt the bridge to be applied to either rail of the track.r In .the under side of the other end of the bridge L is formed a recess to receive the end ot' a rail, M, ofthe side track. rIhe ends of the bridge L are secured tothe rails K M by set-screws N, that pass v in through the sides of the said ends, and the forward ends of which rest against the. sides of the said rails. Upon the sides of the lower side of the middle parts of the bridge L are formed danges, which project downward to rest upon, and are bolted or spiked to, the `ties A.v O are cam-levers` which pass in through slots formed in, and are pivoted to, the side flanges of the bridge L, so that their inner ends may rest against the sides of the rail B, to prevent the bridge from slipping longitudinally upon the said rail B.

rlhe device may be used for removinga car from or placing it upon the track by connecting with the ends of the rails P M, or ofthe block G and bridge L, short inclined planes.

For replacing a car, the wheels upon one side of which are between the rails of the track, the block C, and its attachments may be used for the outer wheels, and an inclined plane, with its thicker end formed to iit against the side of a rail, may be used for the inner wheels, the said inclined plane heilig spiked to the ties A. A

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl i 1. The block C, made with grooves upon its lower side, and projections C1 C2upon its upper side, and provided with the detachable bar F, the detachable iiange G, the set-screws D, and the 1ever-carns E, to adapt it to be a'p-` plied to either rail of a! railroad-track, sub

stantially as herein shown and described.

2. The colnplelnental block H, made with -in shown and described. l

,JESSE F. BRIDGE.

ARTHUR R. BLAKESLEE.

Witnesses:

THos. S. BIRnsEYn, J oHN W. COLEMAN. 

